Bicycle store relocating to Main Street in Riverhead

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | Twin Forks Bicycle will move into a new home in downtown Riverhead after spending five years at their location on Pulaski Street.

When Nick Attisano first opened Twin Forks Bicycles in 2007, he hoped to start his bike shop on Riverhead’s Main Street, but was disappointed when he couldn’t find storefronts to rent. Now, after five years at their location on Pulaski Street, Mr. Attisano and Twin Forks Bicycles are ready to make the move.

“We’ve outgrown this space,” he said. “This was a good launching pad but it’s time to move on to bigger and better spaces and locations. We wanted Main Street then and now we’re going to go for it.”

Twin Forks Bicycles will move to 121 East Main Street this weekend, a 5,400-square-foot space nearly three times larger than its current store. Mr. Attisano said the staff will be moving and unboxing his bikes over the weekend and hopes to have the new store open by next Tuesday.

With $3.16 million in bike lane improvements and a triathlon planned to come to Riverhead this spring, Mr. Attisano said now is the perfect time to make the move downtown. The new shop gives him a better parking location, he said, as well as ample space for his customers to test ride their bikes along the Peconic river front.

He hopes to add alternative sports equipment, like skateboards, longboards, or scooters, in the future “just to have more items to offer our clientele who comes through the door.”

Mr. Attisano added he will be marketing the shop’s bike rental program more to tap into the downtown tourist market, something he said he wasn’t able to do at the store’s current location because of a lack of space and staff.

Despite the vacant properties downtown, Mr. Attisano was excited to “being part of something bigger,” and said bringing more shops downtown has to start somewhere.

“One building at a time,” he said. “Maybe when I move there someone will say ‘Oh, hey he moved there,’ and they’ll take one of the spaces next to me.”